The triumphs of King Pelé
[photo=pelenocosmos.jpg id=96 align=left]Pelé, the most famous goal machine in the world, whose career spanned 3 decades and finished with a record 1281 in 1363 matches and 92 caps.
At fifteen Pelè joined Santos aged just 11, 4 years later he played his first official match in September 1956 against Corinthians, during which scored his first goal as a professional.
As a seventeen-year-old, he made his World Cup debut in Sweden in Brazil’s third game against Russia. In a close match against Wales, Pelè scored the all-important winner in the 1-0 victory.
Against the much-fancied France in the semi-finals, the teenager rose to the occasion and scored three second half goals. In the 1958 World Cup final, Pelè produced two world-class strikes against Sweden. First he controlled a cross with his thigh, lifted it over an opposing defender and volleyed the ball past goalkeeper Svensson. For his second goal, he scored with a lopping header that beat the advancing goalkeeper. Winning Brazil their first world cup and becoming an international superstar.
After triumph with the Seleção, Pelé is back to Brazil and quickly becomes a legend with Santos. Hitting his127 goal for them in 1959, 110 in 1961, winning two Copa Libertadores (1961 and 1962), two intercontinental cups (1962 and 1963), and nine championships São Paulo state championships.
In 1962, Pelè was still 21 and had been widely recognised to be the successor of Di Stefano and Puskas as the world"s greatest player. In this tournament, he played only 2 games. In the first game against Mexico, he scored a magnificent individual goal, beating four Mexican defenders before shooting powerfully to the inside of goalkeeper Carbajal"s right-hand post. He was injured in the match against Czechoslovakia and without him, Brazil struggled. However, Amarildo, deputizing for Pelè, proved a capable replacement and Garrincha became the greatest player of the tournament as Brazil retained its crown.
[photo=pelecomemora.jpg id=96 align=right]In the 1966 world cup, Pelè scored in the opening match from a free-kick but was kicked by the Bulgarian defenders so much that he could not play in the next match. Without him, Brazil lost to an albeit-inspired Hungary. Forced to return to the last game to save his team from elimination, Pelè made little impression as he was brutally fouled by defender Morais. Brazil, the reigning world champions, did not even get past the first round.
In 1969, Pelè registers his 1000th career goal in Maracaña. A penalty that he dedicates to the street children of Brazil. This included five goals in the same match six times, 30 doubles and a record 92 career hat-tricks. Against Botafogo in 1964, he scored eight goals!
A fitter more experience King to the World Cup in 1970, aged 29. He scored four goals and made three assists. He also made some memorable scoring efforts. Against Uruguay, he produced a piece of sheer magic, dummying the famous goalkeeper Mazurkiewicz to shoot narrowly wide. Against Romania, he shot from within the centre-circle after seeing goalkeeper off his line, narrowly missing. Against England, his bullet header was saved by Gordon Banks – often referred to as the greatest save ever. Under Pelè"s guidance, Brazil won their third World Cup, registering seven consecutive wins against Czechoslovakia, England, Romania, Peru, Uruguay and Italy. In the 4-1 win against Italy, Pelè scored one of his most famous goals and was the team’s focal point. This Brazil team is widely acknowledged as the greatest football team ever.
In 1974, Pelé retired from football returning one year later, in the United States with the New York Cosmos. In 1977, Pelè definitively hung up his boots after the NY Cosmos are crowd champions of the United States. In 1980 Pelè was named Athlete of the Century and the International Prince of the Peace of 1978. But Pelé also had many international roles: Ambassador of the United Nations for Education, Sciences and the Culture – UNESCO, Ambassador of the United Nations for Ecology and the Environment, Ambassador of the United Nations for Childhood and Adolescence – UNICEF. The 18 years spent at Santos have marked the city forever so much so that, November 19 is devoted “Pelé day" in Santos, celebrating the anniversary of his 1000th goal. Pelè became a role model as well as an idol for a whole generation of young players in the favelas, for whom football is one of the only means of escaping poverty.
Recommended links:
All about King Pelé
The Santos card
The Santos pictures taken at the time of our travel to Brazil
The Santos official site
Articles published in the special week of Santos in sambafoot.com:
Santos creator of talents
Vila Belmiro Stadium world famous home of FC Santos
